Aroma Coffee & Tea Co

The iced blended mocha is the order that keeps Aroma Coffee & Tea Co in daily use, with the chai latte running close behind it.

A converted house with a back patio

The setting explains a lot. Aroma Coffee & Tea Co occupies a house turned café, so the interior breaks into nooks rather than one open room, and the green back patio does the work a dining room would do elsewhere. The effect is homey and a little sprawling, with the buzz of a neighborhood place rather than the hush of a specialty bar.

It stays casual throughout. Read it as a Los Angeles stop for familiar drinks and baked goods rather than a venue defined by a tasting format or a chef-led menu.

Coffee, tea and a case of house-made bakes

The drink list covers the orders that keep a café in rotation: iced blended mocha, chai latte, flavored lattes and cold brew coffee. Tea sits beside coffee rather than behind it, which is what the name has always promised.

The food is built on the bakes. House-made cakes, muffins and croissants sit next to the drinks, which suits the way most people use the place, coffee first and something simple to eat second. Brunch is part of the day here too, so the patio can hold a longer sit than a takeaway cup would suggest.

Order the iced blended mocha first

Start with the iced blended mocha if you want the clearest signature. If the pull is softer and spiced, the chai latte is the other standout. Cold brew is the cleaner route, and the flavored lattes cover the familiar café lane.

Beside it, choose from the named bakes rather than treating the case as an afterthought. A muffin is the quick order, a croissant keeps things simple, and a house-made cake is the one to take when the visit has shifted from a drink into a longer sit on the patio.